FIR against Pragya Thakur for remarks on Babri Masjid demolition
NEW DELHI/ BHOPAL : The Election Commission (EC) on Monday directed the police to file an FIR against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for her remark that she was “proud” to be part of the Babri mosque demolition at Ayodhya in 1992.
The development comes two days after the poll panel issued a show-cause notice to Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast accused currently out on bail, over her remark made during an interview to a news channel.
“We are going to file an FIR against the BJP candidate for her remarks over Ayodhya at the TT Nagar Police Station,” district election officer and collector Sudam Khade told PTI. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), TT Nagar area, Sanjay Shrivastava said the FIR is being filed against the 48-year- old right-wing activist for alleged violation of the model code of conduct which is in force for the Lok Sabha elections.
During the interview, Thakur was quoted as saying “Ram Mandir hum banayenge aur bhavya banayenge, hum todne gaye the dhancha, maine chadhkar toda tha dhancha, iss par mujhe bhayankar garv hai.
“Mujhe Ishwar ne shakti di thi humne desh ka kalank mitaya hai (A grand Ram temple will be built. I had gone to demolish the structure and had climbed atop it to break it. I am tremendously proud of it. God gave me strength to wipe off a blot on this country).” The EC notice had said Thakur’s remark was a violation of chapter 4 of the model code of conduct, which pertains to maintenance of harmony between castes, communities, religious, linguistic groups.
Reacting to the notice, Thakur had Sunday told reporters,” I am not backtracking (from the remark. The structure was demolished and a grand temple would be constructed. Nobody can stop me from constructing a grand temple (at the disputed site).” In reply to another question, she said, “What disputed structure? We will construct a grand Ram temple, will reconstruct it.”
Earlier, the EC had on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to Thakur over her controversial remark about 26/11 martyr and Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare. Thakur had claimed Karkare died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she “cursed” him for “torturing” her when he probed the blast case as chief of the Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS).
“We had removed a blot from the country. We had gone to demolish the structure. I climbed atop the structure and broke it and I feel extremely proud that God gave me this opportunity. We will make sure that a Ram Temple is built at that site,” Pragya Thakur said.
She was served notice for “creating mutual hatred or cause tension between different communities”, but unfazed, she said she “stands by” what she said. “Yes, I had gone there, I had said it yesterday too, not denying it. I had demolished the structure. I will go there and help in the construction of the Ram temple, nobody can stop us from doing that,” she said.
On Sunday, she was reportedly told by her party to “avoid provocative statements”, sources said today. Pragya Thakur, who wears saffron robes and calls herself a “sadhvi”, is one of the main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts in which six people were killed and over 100 injured. She was the face of what the previous Congress-led UPA government described as “saffron terror”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the decision to field Pragya Thakur, saying it was a reply to those who tried to link the Hindu civilization to terror. He also asserted that “this symbol will prove costly for the Congress”.
Pragya Thakur had been served her first election commission notice for saying that she had “cursed” Hemant Karkare, a celebrated officer who died fighting terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. “I had told him you will be finished, and he was killed by terrorists in less than two months,” Pragya Thakur had bragged at a press conference on Thursday. Hemant Karkare, as Maharashtra’s anti-terror chief, was among the first officers to investigate the 48-year-old after her arrest.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court dropped stringent charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against her but the trial court retained charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. She is currently out on bail, on health grounds, and her candidature has been challenged in court by the father of one of the men who died in the Malegaon blast.
Bhopal will vote on May 12 in the election that will end on May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.(With Inputs from Bhopal).
